Canada-US trade fell by $1.9bn in two years as vehicle exports dropped
Motor vehicles and parts saw the largest decline, while precious metals and cocoa trade rose
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Canada-US trade fell by $1.9bn in two years as vehicle exports dropped
Photograph: CTV News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Canada’s trade with the US fell by $1.9 billion between Q1 2024 and Q1 2026, reaching $322.8 billion in early 2026.
- The largest decline was in motor vehicles and parts, which dropped 18.9% or $6.7 billion over the two years.
- Exports to the US decreased by 1.6%, while imports rose by 0.6%, narrowing the trade surplus.
- The US is increasing pressure on Canada ahead of formal talks on the Canada-US-Mexico trade agreement.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 7 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. Coverage measured .
Trust
76/100
Craft
95/100
Hype
15/100
7 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
None of the 7 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Canada’s trade with the United States fell by $1.9 billion between the first quarter of 2024 and the first three months of 2026. The total value of goods and services traded in Q1 2026 was $322.8 billion, according to Global Affairs Canada. Exports to the US declined by 1.6%, or $2.8 billion, while imports rose by 0.6%, or $935 million.
The largest decline in two-way trade was in motor vehicles and parts, which fell by 18.9%, or $6.7 billion. Other sectors saw declines: iron and steel trade dropped 43.5%, and mineral fuels and oils fell 3.3%. Precious stones and metals rose by $2.8 billion, and cocoa and related products increased by 52%. Aircraft and parts trade grew by 15.5%.
The US is increasing pressure on Canada ahead of formal talks on the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). US President Donald Trump has threatened new tariffs on Canadian goods. In 2024, Canada exported $709.6 billion in goods and services to the US and imported $618.3 billion. By 2025, exports fell to $683.3 billion, and imports declined to $604.1 billion.
What the coverage left out
No right-rated outlet ran this story at all. None of the digests from left-rated or centre-rated outlets mentioned the 2024 and 2025 annual trade figures, which were included in CTV News’s full report. The left-rated digests also omitted all sector-specific changes.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 4 times, most recently on 5 Aug 2026, 21:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
3 rated outlets
- The two left-rated digests led on the overall decline in Canada-US trade, stating the $1.9 billion drop between Q1 2024 and Q1 2026. Neither digest mentioned the sector-specific changes, such as the decline in motor vehicles or the rise in precious metals trade.
Centre
4 rated outlets
- CTV News, the only centre-rated outlet with a full report, led on the $1.9 billion decline and detailed the sector-specific changes. It reported the 18.9% drop in motor vehicles and parts, the rise in precious metals and cocoa trade, and the US pressure ahead of CUSMA talks. The four centre-rated digests all stated the $1.9 billion decline but did not include sector-specific details.
- The Globe & Mail’s digest was the only one to mention the 18.9% decline in motor vehicles and parts, though it did not provide the $6.7 billion figure. The other centre-rated digests did not include any sector-specific data.
Right
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Read it at the source
7 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
3- Trade Between Canada and the United States in Decline (opens Radio-Canada in a new tab)
Radio-Canada — is Radio-Canada biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Canada-U.S. trade down almost $2 billion since early 2024 (opens SooToday.com in a new tab)
SooToday.com — is SooToday.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Canada-U.S. Trade Has Declined by Almost $2 Billion Since 2024 (opens La Presse in a new tab)
Centre
4- Canada-U.S. trade drops almost $2-billion since early 2024, data show (opens The Globe & Mail in a new tab)
The Globe & Mail — is The Globe & Mail biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Canada-U.S. trade down almost $2B in two years (opens CTV News in a new tab)
- Canada-U.S. trade down almost $2 billion since early 2024 (opens Castanet in a new tab)
- Canada-U.S. trade down almost $2 billion since early 2024 (opens City News in a new tab)
Right
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Not rated
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
How did this read?
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